Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-04-29
FARM AND GARDEN.


nh ciuai weight Oh corn, anu OcttcT IOr
poultry. This by-product of the sor-
ghum crop is in many places worth
enough to pay for growing it. leaving
the cane TO be made into sweet. or fed
to stock if no convenience es are near for
working it up.
SOWING SEEDS TOO DEEPLY.
The first planting of anything in
Spring should be covered very lightly.
While the soil is cold from deep freez-
lng or ice water during Winter, the
sun warns it only a little below the
surface. There is always moisture
enough in early Spring to bring seeds
up, and once they are terminated the
plants will give their roots all the need
ed covering by striking down into the
soil when this is better for their
growth.
SHEEP on LOW LAND
In the present boom which prevails
in sheep growing some may be led to
en- gage in the business whose location
is n OF suitable for this purpose. Low,
wet land should be avoided, not only
because it predisposes to foot-rot and
other diseases, but also for the reason
that its heritage is coarser and less nu-
.ritious than on the hills. Sheep are
close troopers, and although rich soil
is required to grow the best grass they
prefer TO browse it when it is short and
sweet.
SLIDING DOORS FOR BARNS.
The advantages of the sliding door
are so great for barns that they should
entirely supcrcede the old fashioned
sort that swing on hinges. On the
slide they are more secure from wreck
inc and wrenchng by violent winds,
and are easily opened for any distance
in any kind of weather. The support
cost little more than hinges. but the
extra expense is more than compensat-
ed by greater durability aside from the
saving in material, as sliding door
may be made very slight.
THE FIRST USE OF BAGS.
When good stout grain b ags may be
bought at present prices there is little
excuse for using old standbys. with
holes partly filed with hay or straw.
A good set of bags should be kept in
good condition for full year They
may be used much longer than this,
but generally all the profit is got out of
them the first year. If used much
longer, the labor of repairing or waste
of grain through holes will Offset all
their gain. Like the human life after
three-score and ten, what follows is
only labor and sorrow.
MULCHING ORCHARDS IN SPRING.
One of the difficulties in making
apple trees bear is in keeping the soil
arou nd their roots moist and cool, as it
lsed to be when they were surrounded
by forests and when the soil was full of
veget table matter. But orchard soil is
always thoroughly soaked at some time
n the year. and if heavy mulch is
spread under the trees IN Spring the
moisture cannot be rapidly evaporated.
The trees will be in nearly the same
state that all orchards were in when
The country was new, and other con.
ditions being the same, there IS no rea-
son why they should not bear as they
formerly did.
THE wooDPECkER AS AN ALLY.
The woodpecker is one of the few
birds that remain with us during the
Winter. though it is hidden in dense
forests, so that those no do not get
far from the house rar ely see it. As il
ives during this Ii me on insects bur
rowing trees it is valuable friend to
man. 1t attacks his insect enemies
while they are dormant and unable to
escape. This may not seem exactly
lair, but the scourge of insects during
he season when they are active more
than reconcies the farmer to any adj
vantage that may be taken against
them. In the fight against insects
every means Of warfare is fair.
EARLY ROSE POTATOES.
We have undoubtedly had so many
so-called new varieties of potatoes,
which, were really only the Early Rose
reproduced from the seed. The old
Early Rose has so far degenerated
that it is now considered very poor
yielder. though on its first introduction
it was one of the most prolific varieties
grown, often yielding 200 to 800
bushels per acre. Now, when a rose
colored potato yields like this, it is con-
sidered proof that it is a new variety.
As compared with the degenerate
Early Rose it is. but if nothing more
than the Early Rose reproduced from
seed it may be well worthy of cultiva-
ton, for that variety n its days was
hard 10 beat
GREEN MANURE IN SPRING.
There is time in Spring on ground
entirely naked to SOW oats or some
other rapidly-growing vegetable to be